1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to networks, like home local area networks (LANs), that have multiple network links, and more particularly to a method for allocating transmission of the traffic stream packets among the multiple links.
2. Description of the Related Art
Local area networks (LANs) are becoming prevalent in the home, and are being used for applications that require high effective bandwidth or throughput, such as streaming audio and/or video (audio-video or “AV”). Also, the various network devices, such as a media server personal computer (PC) source device and a digital TV destination device, may be connected by more than one network link. These different network links may be wireless, like IEEE 802.11 links, or wired, like Ethernet and powerline communications (PLC) links. The throughput of each network link is limited and fluctuates with traffic load and interference, e.g., microwave ovens and other appliances powering on and off on the electrical wiring used by a PLC link. Also, AV applications, such as streaming high-definition TV (HDTV), require networks with higher maximum capacity bandwidth and more sustainable throughput. Thus an individual network link cannot always meet the throughput requirement of some applications, particularly streaming AV.
The conventional method for transmitting packets of a traffic stream over a network with multiple links is to select the link with the highest maximum capacity bandwidth and transmit all of the packets on that link. Another method is a “round-robin” method in which groups of packets are sent in succession to the different links for simultaneous transmission on all the links.
What is needed is a method in a multiple-link network for intelligently distributing or allocating traffic stream packets among multiple links and periodically adjusting the allocation so as to achieve higher network throughput.